Published 3 hours ago • loading... • Updated 3 minutes ago
Coco Gauff Loses After Citing an 'Insane' Wave of Racist Abuse Following Previous Match in Beijing
On Wednesday, 19th-ranked Elise Mertens defeated fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 at the China Open in Beijing, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Gauff entered the match a day after reporting she had received an "insane" amount of online racist abuse following her controversial Monday victory against Sun Xinran.
Despite winning all five previous matchups against Mertens, Gauff dropped her serve four times. The Belgian player finished the match in 78 minutes with an ace on her second match point.
Reaching her first quarterfinal at a WTA 1000 event in five years, Mertens dedicated the victory to her coach, who is also her boyfriend.
Mertens will face six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the next round after Swiatek defeated 18-year-old Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3.